but the answer is 42. Everyone knows that.
It is an allegory for 6X7. Which represents the 6 known planes of existence and the 7 known multidimensional sentient life forms. Now, the first three numbers in the square root of 42 are 6.48, which amazingly enough is the exact proportion of the foods needed to make the perfect Breakfast: 6 pieces of bacon, 4 eggs and 8 dollar pancakes.
Now if you add the numbers making up the square root you get 18, which is the age at which earth girls can become pole dancers, and that is the only reason the other multidimensional beings even come here. Ya gotta love the method here.